Tag Archives: film noir

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Noir City Celebrates the Dark Side

Posted on August 15, 2023 by lmharnisch

The Film Noir Foundation’s 24th presentation of Noir City Hollywood with the American Cinematheque recently concluded at Santa Monica’s Aero Theatre, saluting the 75th anniversary of 1948 films and demonstrating how relevant these films are today. While shot all in … Continue reading →

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Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

Posted on February 8, 2021 by lmharnisch

This week’s mystery movie was the 1950 Paramount film “The File on Thelma Jordon,” with Barbara Stanwyck, Wendell Corey, Paul Kelly, Joan Tetzel, Stanley Ridges, Richard Rober, Minor Watson, Barry Kelley and Laura Elliot. Screenplay by Ketti Frings from a … Continue reading →

Posted in 1950, Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 52 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

Posted on March 2, 2020 by lmharnisch

This week’s mystery movie was the 1946 RKO picture “Deadline at Dawn,” with Susan Hayward, Paul Lukas, Bill Williams, Joseph Calleia, Osa Massen, Lola Lane, Jerome Cowan, Marvin Miller, Roman Bohnen, Steven Geray, Joe Sawyer, Constance Worth and Joseph Crehan. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1946, Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 37 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

Posted on December 2, 2019 by lmharnisch

This week’s mystery movie was the 1956 Warner Bros. film “A Cry in the Night,” with Edmond O’Brien, Brian Donlevy, Natalie Wood, Raymond Burr, Richard Anderson, Irene Hervey, Carol Vezzie, Mary Lawrence, Anthony Caruso, George J. Lewis, Peter Hanson, Tina … Continue reading →

Posted in 1956, Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 31 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

Posted on November 25, 2019 by lmharnisch

This week’s mystery movie was the 1946 Twentieth Century-Fox film “Somewhere in the Night,” with John Hodiak, Nancy Guild, Lloyd Nolan, Richard Conte, Josephine Hutchinson, Fritz Kortner, Margo Woode, Sheldon Leonard and Lou Nova. Screenplay by Howard Dinsdale and Joseph … Continue reading →

Posted in 1946, 1947, Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 28 Comments

Downtown Los Angeles, 1950: ‘Underworld Story,’ Part 4

Posted on June 26, 2019 by lmharnisch

Here’s another sequence from “The Underworld Story,” an especially interesting one that features the Globe Lobby in the old Los Angeles Times Building. Leading man Dan Duryea walks through the lobby. That’s the bust of Harry Chandler in a space … Continue reading →

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Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

Posted on June 24, 2019 by lmharnisch

This week’s mystery movie was the 1946 (copyright 1945) Monogram Pictures film “Fear,” with Peter Cookson, Warren William, Anne Gwynne, Francis Pierlot, Nestor Paiva, James Cardwell, Almira Sessions, William Moss, Harry Clay, Johnny Strong, Ernie Adams and Charles Calvert. Original … Continue reading →

Posted in 1945, 1946, Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 38 Comments

Downtown Los Angeles, 1950: ‘The Underworld Story’ Part 2

Posted on June 19, 2019 by lmharnisch

Here’s another frame from the opening of “The Underworld Story,” last week’s mystery movie. This appears to be one of the Hill Street tunnels, which were demolished in 1955.

Posted in 1950, Architecture, Downtown, Film, Hollywood | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Downtown Los Angeles, 1950: ‘The Underworld Story’

Posted on June 18, 2019 by lmharnisch

“The Underworld Story,” last week’s mystery movie, had quite a few interesting shots of downtown Los Angeles from about 1950. Here’s one from the opening titles. It shows the Fashion League Building, which was at Hill and 2nd streets. Notice … Continue reading →

Posted in 1950, Architecture, Downtown, Film, Hollywood | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

Posted on June 10, 2019 by lmharnisch

This week’s particularly fun (for me, anyway) mystery movie was the 1950 United Artists release “The Underworld Story,” with Dan Duryea, Herbert Marshall, Gale Storm, Howard Da Silva, Michael O’Shea, Mary Anderson, Gar Moore, Melville Cooper, Frieda Inescort, Art Baker, … Continue reading →

Posted in 1950, Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 47 Comments

Jan. 1, 1945: The Making of ‘The Blue Dahlia’

Posted on January 3, 2019 by lmharnisch

Jan. 1, 1945: Raymond Chandler writes to Charles Morton, mentioning his original idea for a film. “The Blue Dahlia” would become Chandler’s first original screenplay. To be continued.

Posted in 1945, Blue Dahlia, Books and Authors, Film, Hollywood | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

December 1947: It’s Curtains, Rocky! MPAA Bans Gangster Pictures

Posted on December 5, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project. NEW YORK, Dec. 3. (AP)—The board of directors of the Motion Picture Association of America today voted to cease distribution of new and old pictures glorifying … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Film, Hollywood | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Hollywood 1948: Stars Pick Their Biggest Movie Turkeys; Lizabeth Scott Calls ‘Dead Reckoning’ Her Worst Film

Posted on November 27, 2018 by lmharnisch

Aug. 25, 1948: Lizabeth Scott tells veteran Hollywood columnist Bob Thomas of the Associated Press: “I never did understand the character. Bogie was a baby. He was the only thing that made it possible to get through the picture.” Also, … Continue reading →

Posted in 1948, Film, Hollywood | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

On Location in Los Angeles: ‘The Unfaithful’ (1947)

Posted on September 11, 2018 by lmharnisch

Here’s the sequence of shots in “The Unfaithful” showing Angels Flight, photographed by Ernest Haller, edited by Alan Crosland Jr. In image No. 1, we have a news vendor and the upper entrance to the funicular.

Posted in 1947, Architecture, Downtown, Film, Hollywood | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Slander, My Sweet: Raymond Chandler, John Houseman and ‘The Blue Dahlia’

Posted on June 29, 2018 by lmharnisch

Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake in “The Blue Dahlia.” Here are the opening paragraphs of the piece I’ve been working on for the last few months as I waited for the clamor to die down about Piu Eatwell’s “Black Dahlia, … Continue reading →

Posted in 1945, 1946, Another Good Story Ruined, Books and Authors, Film, Hollywood | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Coming Attractions: Mark A. Vieira’s ‘Into the Dark’

Posted on April 19, 2016 by lmharnisch

Mark A. Vieira writes that he will be signing advance copies of his book “Into the Dark” at the TCM Classic Film Festival. “Into the Dark,” published by Running Press and TCM, won’t be officially released until May 24, so … Continue reading →

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‘Laura’ — The Making of a Film Noir Classic, Part 5

Posted on June 3, 2014 by lmharnisch

In case you just tuned in, I’m using Louella Parsons’ May 15, 1944,  item on Rouben Mamoulian being replaced as director of “Laura” to do a bit of digging into the production of this film noir classic – however one … Continue reading →

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‘Laura’ — The Making of a Classic Film Noir, Part 4

Posted on May 30, 2014 by lmharnisch

  In case you just tuned in, I’m using the May 15 post by Louella Parsons on Rouben Mamoulian being replaced by Otto Preminger as director of “Laura” to spend some time examining the production of the film noir classic. … Continue reading →

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‘Laura’ — The Making of a Classic Film Noir, Part 2

Posted on May 28, 2014 by lmharnisch

In case you just tuned in, prompted by Louella Parsons’ May 15 post that Rouben Mamoulian had asked to be released as director of “Laura” (later accounts will say that he was fired), I’m looking at the making of the … Continue reading →

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Black Dahlia and ‘Double Indemnity’ – KCET Gets It Way Wrong

Posted on September 7, 2013 by lmharnisch

Is it really possible to write about the film “Double Indemnity” without mentioning Raymond Chandler, who collaborated on the screenplay, or James M. Cain, who wrote the book that was the basis for the film? Sadly, Ryan Reft (identified as … Continue reading →

Posted in 1944, 1947, Black Dahlia, Film, Hollywood, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments